No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America

Sanders, senior adviser for Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, shares her secrets to political success. Sanders quickly moved up the ranks of political operatives through exercising a combination of knowledge, skill, and determination, becoming the national press secretary for Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign at age 25. In this memoir and how-to guide, Sanders engages readers who feel politically silenced, walking them through the structures of political power, redefining normalcy, engaging with revolutionary ideals, bridging ideological gaps, and being persistent. She illustrates these points with anecdotes from her own life and from the lives of those who have inspired her. Sanders is frank about the racism and professional setbacks that she experienced and includes interludes that impart career advice, such as the importance of networking, staying true to oneself, and being clear about one’s goals. The book ends with a call to action for the Democratic Party to unite but is not tied to a particular candidate.

VERDICT A much-needed pep talk for Democrats during the 2020 election cycle. Recommended for readers interested in contemporary U.S. politics.